Definitely time for a 'Now & Then'. This is from an article by Carolyn Webb of The Age.
"History buff's vintage Melbourne Instagram site is a hit"
"Today it’s known for its street art, but 50 years ago,
Hosier Lane, off Flinders Street, was part of Melbourne’s thriving clothing
district.
A sign in a 1972 photo of the bare-walled lane advertises
the business of Bernard Rothschild, who sells underwear, knitwear, children's
wear and hosiery.
Swipe right on the photo on the Instagram page Old Vintage Melbourne, and you'll see the same view in recent years. The walls are covered in art, with a sign indicating a recent focus of the precinct: a bar called Misty.
Melbourne lawyer Chris Macheras started Old Vintage
Melbourne six months ago and it has taken off, with 28,000 followers.
"It's insane," says Mr Macheras, but he is happy
it's helping connect Melburnians with their history.
One comment on the Hosier Lane post states: "Wow the
graffiti is so ugly ... 1972 looks much better."
But another says: "I’m loving the graffiti. The laneways
are so cool."
Someone called Yael Rothschild says that "the
Rothschild sign was my father-in-law’s warehouse" and that he passed away
just two years ago, aged 95.
"He worked so hard. He was a great man. We have this
photo framed."
One of Mr Macheras' favourite historic shots is from about 1906: a Mr and Mrs Laycock pose for a photo outside their shop in Middle Park, with ads for The Age and Cadbury chocolates.
Mr Macheras was relieved to find the building still exists,
although it is no longer a shop. A modern verandah has been added and its door
has moved.
He learns something new with every post.
A circa 1870s photo of Melbourne GPO, by Charles Nettleton,
shows the building with two storeys, not today's three, and a much shorter,
more squat clock tower than the one added later.
Mr Macheras said that during the gold rush, large sections were often added to such buildings as Victoria’s wealth and population grew.
Right: The Fish Market on the corner of Swanston & Flinders streets c1895, later becoming the site of the Flinders Street Railway Station (2020 Photo supplied by Chris Macheras)
His Instagram efforts aren't all about buildings.
When he posted a 1981 photo by Rennie Ellis of a Greek
family in Prahran cooking a lamb on the spit, a woman commented, "Wow this
is a great photo of me and my family. We are still a very close family and we
still celebrate every Christmas and Easter together."
Mr Macheras' own family has run a hairdressing salon at 216
Tyler Street, Preston, since the early 1970s. But the shop dates from the 1930s
and he would love to see old photos of it.
The Old Vintage Melbourne Instagram project started in June,
when Mr Macheras had more free time as a result of not having to commute from
Preston to the city for work.
He discovered vivid digital photos on websites such as that
of the State Library of Victoria and started digitally restoring a few.
Mr Macheras says he is allowed to use old photos for
non-commercial purposes, where no copyright restrictions apply, provided credit
is given.
He hopes to write an Old Vintage Melbourne book,
incorporating people's stories. It has, he says, been good for his mental
health to have this creative outlet."
I couldn't copy the cool way The Age article did the swipe across the photos, so go to the original article and try it for yourself.
And check out the Old Vintage Melbourne Instagram site for more old photos and Now & Thens. Here are a few of my favourites.
